Hanoi
Telegram on the Twentieth Anniversary of Founding
(September 1, 1965)

Comrade Ho Chi Minh, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Workers’ Party and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam;

Comrade Truong Chinh, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam;

Comrade Pham Van Dong, Prime Minister of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam:

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, on behalf of the Chinese people, the Communist Party of China, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, we extend our warmest congratulations to the fraternal Vietnamese people, the Vietnam Workers’ Party, and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Twenty years ago, under the leadership of the Vietnam Workers’ Party headed by President Ho Chi Minh, the heroic Vietnamese people, after a long and arduous struggle, won national independence and established, for the first time in Vietnamese history, a state owned by the people—the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Since gaining independence, the Vietnamese people have held high the banner of revolution, continuing their unyielding struggle against imperialism and achieving one brilliant victory after another. They have also made tremendous achievements in the socialist construction of North Vietnam. The Chinese people have been greatly inspired by the victorious struggle of our Vietnamese brothers and sisters and are sincerely delighted at their accomplishments.

At present, the Vietnamese people are bravely waging a great war of resistance against American imperialism, the most vicious enemy of all peoples worldwide, in order to save their country from U.S. aggression. This struggle is not only for the defense of Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty, and national dignity; it is also an important part of the common global effort of all peoples to oppose U.S. imperialism and safeguard world peace. The Vietnamese people stand firmly at the forefront of the anti-American struggle, striking hard at, weakening, and tying down the aggressive and military forces of U.S. imperialism, thereby providing powerful support to the revolutionary struggle of peoples around the globe against U.S. imperialism and for the preservation of peace.

Today, on the battlefields of Vietnam, the brave and battle-hardened Vietnamese people grow stronger with each passing day, while U.S. imperialism continues to suffer defeat. The paper-tiger facade of U.S. imperialism has been further exposed by the heroic Vietnamese people. The revolutionary spirit of the Vietnamese people—daring to fight and daring to win—and their fearless, heroic bearing have earned them heartfelt praise and admiration from peoples across the globe. All peoples stand with the Vietnamese people, sympathizing with and supporting their just struggle, and firmly believe that the heroic Vietnamese people will surely defeat U.S. aggression and achieve final victory.

China and Vietnam are socialist neighboring countries, closely linked and mutually dependent. Our two peoples are close comrades-in-arms, bound by ties as strong as those between brothers. The struggle of the Vietnamese people is a great source of support for the Chinese people. The Chinese people resolutely support the Vietnamese people’s war of resistance to save the country from U.S. aggression. The Chinese people have made every necessary preparation and are determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Vietnamese people until the complete defeat of U.S. imperialist aggression.

We wish the Vietnamese people new and greater successes in their great struggle to defend the North, liberate the South, and achieve national reunification. May the fighting friendship between the peoples of China and Vietnam endure forever!

Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

Liu Shaoqi, President of the People’s Republic of China

Zhu De, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China

Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

September 1, 1965